Top 4 Oregon Discrimination Cases by Meyer Employment Law

Most workplace disputes are resolved out of court. This also applies to litigation alleging discrimination in the workplace. However, in the event of a jury trial, the value of your compensation from the lawsuit rises. The Covid-19 pandemic had little effect on the number of workplace-related cases being settled as they continue to rise across the country. As per statistics by Seyfarth, “As measured by the top 10 largest case resolutions in various workplace class action categories, overall settlement numbers skyrocketed in 2021 to an all-time high. The plaintiffs’ bar and government enforcement attorneys obtained significant settlements in a wide range of areas in 2021.”

It is clear from these statistics that discrimination and employment-based lawsuits can lead to very high settlements.

1) Age-Related Discrimination

In 2019, the University of Oregon had agreed to pay $170,000 to settle with two former professors of architecture who had accused the university of discrimination based on age. The lawsuit filed by the professors alleged that a plan to shift them permanently from the Portland campus to the Eugene campus was based on their seniority rather than their qualifications. One of the professors who had sued, Warren Gast, said he felt compelled to act after the Dean had transferred out the oldest Portland tenured faculty members and maintained younger adjunct staff without any plausible explanation. (Source: KLCC)

2) Gender-Related Discrimination

The University of Oregon settled a case in 2021 for $450,000 after psychologist Jennifer Freyd alleged gender wage-related discrimination. The parties agreed to the settlement after four years of litigation. Freyd’s non-profit, the Center for Institutional Courage, received a $100,000 donation out of the settlement. The legal proceedings started after Freyd discovered that her male colleagues in the psychology department were earning tens of thousands of dollars more than she was. After the settlement, Freyd and the university published a joint statement: “We are pleased to put this litigation behind us and together affirm our continued commitment to uncover, acknowledge, and address gender inequity and other forms of discrimination.” (Source: The Register-Guard)

3) Race-Related Discrimination

An African American former vice provost Douglas Samuels sued Portland State University (“PSU”) for racial discrimination and received $795,000 in settlement back in 2009. After serving as vice provost for student affairs from 2001 to 2005, the institution downgraded Douglas Samuels to professor of black studies. As per Douglas’ attorney, he had sought to promote cultural diversity in the university but was met with institutional racism. To avoid a jury trial, the parties involved agreed to settle, and Douglas got compensation totaling $500,000 from the state and another $295,000 from PSU. (Source: OregonLive)

4) Discrimination Based on Religion

In 2013, a federal jury had awarded $14,080 to a city of Portland employee who had claimed she was routinely harassed by a coworker because of her religious views. The jury determined the city officials had exposed the employee KellyMarie Griffin to a hostile work environment and failed to take immediate and effective measures to stop the religious harassment. The city was ordered to pay Griffin $14,080 in non-economic damages. Further, Theresa Lareau, the coworker who had harassed Griffin, was ordered to pay $5,300 in damages to Griffin. (Source: OregonLive)

Contact Oregon employment attorneys

If you face discrimination at work based on age, sex, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, you may have a case against your employer.

At Meyer Employment Law, you won’t have to pay an up-front fee to obtain an initial consultation from our Oregon discrimination attorneys to evaluate potential actions against your employer. If you need qualified legal advice on whether you have a claim against your employer, contact us at Meyer Employment Law.

Discrimination Law

Discrimination law in the workplace includes unequal treatment based on age, national origin, race, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, injury, disability, etc.

read more about Oregon discrimination law.